Illegal Secrets
by Sora Hajime
Summary: Alex has not had a mission in two weeks. The MI6 have been watching him just in case they need him again, they do, and it will be very, very dangerous.
1. Chapter 1

Jack Starbright, the housekeeper started working at a bakery until about three in the afternoon. Alex had not had a new mission from the MI6 for about two weeks. He was expecting for something to happen, an agent's work was never done.

It was about six 'o clock on a Friday afternoon. Jack was watching Casa Blanca on the couch in the living room. Alex looked at her and sighed averting his eyes back to the essay he was working on. He only had two sentences written. It was proving to be a very difficult assignment indeed. His thoughts kept going back to Sabina. She had called him for the first time in four weeks the night before. She called to tell him that she had found someone else.

"I'm sorry Alex. I don't want to hold you back."

"No. I understand." He said trying not to show signs of sadness. Great, now the MI6 is really getting to me. He thought trying to think of something else. Sabina took a deep breath.

"America.. is so far away." She said, "Especially California, we can't ever get together. It's been nagging at me for weeks." Alex tried to think of something suitable to say. The only thing that came to him was;

"I hope you found everything you're looking for."

"I hope you do to." As soon as she had said this. Part of the enormous burden he had been carrying for the last two years lifted and disappeared.

"Friends?" He asked.

"Of course silly!" He heard her giggle, "Always, I'll always be here for you." He thought this would have been so much more painful. Some how he liked thinking of Sabina as a friend more than ever.

"I will too." Alex said with a smile.

"Good luck." she said.

"You too. If he's mean to you I'll knock him out." He said in a protective flourish that was almost corny. Sabina laughed.

"Thanks Alex." She said with a smile in her voice, "I hope to talk to you soon."

"Yeah, talk to you later." Alex said. There was a pause and Sabina hung up. He followed soon after. Thinking of the conversation he had to smile. He snapped back to his essay.

"Hey Jack." Alex said hesitantly.

"Hmm?" She said in a far off voice.

"I was wondering, do you mind if I step outside, we're out of ice cream."

"Oh.. Yeah! You're right! I wouldn't mind having some ice cream ether, do you need a ride?"

"No, it's okay Jack, enjoy your movie." Alex said deserting his paper on the bar table. "I'll be back in ten."

"Okay.. Have fun..." She didn't take her eyes from the screen, "call me if anything comes up, you know." Jack said.

"Yeah, I will." Alex smiled. He walked to the front door and took his coat from the hanger. He opened the door and shut it behind him.

He had decided to take his bike. The sun was setting, Alex checked his watch, it was nearly 6:30, he didn't have much time before it was dark. Alex peddled his bike down the street past the cricket field. The winter air blew into his face. It brought back memories of all he had done.. The cool days at Point Blanc. Everything was beginning to remind him of the missions than of things that should have happened.

But than again, whoever said life was supposed to be fair like that?

Alex sighed as he turned at the stoplight on the crosswalk. He cellphone rang, nearly knocking him off his bike. He took it out of his pocket and came to a stop in front of the drugstore on the corner.

"Hello?" Alex said composing himself.

"Alex." Said an unchanging voice he noticed at once.

"Mrs. Jones?"

"Yes, I know you just got back from..."

"Outer space." Alex said bluntly.

"Yes, I'm sorry to have to ask you.." Alex sighed. He he known it wouldn't be long before he got this call. "If you would go to Switzerland for us it's very important.." Alex's heart fell.

"What do you want me to do?" Alex asked before he could stop himself. He knew she wouldn't tell him until they were a safe distance away from the rest of the world. "Bad question." He said out loud. Mrs. Jones sighed.

"I'm so sorry Alex. I know you're tired of these missions. You were a last resort. Alan insisted that you take this one." Of course Mr. Blunt, the evil genius of this whole venture.

"Oh." Alex said. He looked around, he had a feeling he was being watched. In fact, he _always _felt he was being watched.

"I'll tell you but you have to act casual!" She said urgently.

"Sure." Alex said. He put the kickstand on his bike and walked into the store. The store wasn't packed with people, it worked to his advantage anyway. The freezers were always at the back of the store.

"Now, where are you?" Mrs. Jones asked.

"Kimberly's Drugstore."

"Yes, well, how many people are there?"

"Wait a minute." Alex said then looking over the shelves to see a whopping five. "About five." He said.

"Good, this is very important." Mrs. Jones said quickly and quietly, "You have to play bodyguard to an American prodigy named Ara Faye. She's fourteen and incredibly hard to pin down. She was last seen leaving the Louvre two years ago on Christmas Eve. Coincidentally, she was photoed by accident while she was viewing the _Mona Lisa _."

Alex reached the back of the store and opened the freezer.

"Well, what makes you think she will trust me anyway? The girl is obviously trying to hide something from the interpol." Alex said taking out a barrel of chocolate mint ice cream from the shelf and shutting the door.

"Perhaps, we think it's bigger than that."

"How so?" Alex asked striding to the front of the store.

"She is being much to careful about hiding. We think she's possibly doing something illegal. Possibly concerning the Mafia"

"Most likely." Alex said setting the ice cream on the counter. A girl stepped up behind him holding a pack of spearmint gum. She was a pretty girl, her skin had an olive sheen, there were large black circles under her eyes. She looked as if she hadn't slept for months. She was gazing out of the window.

"So, what do you think?"

"Possibly." Alex said looking over his shoulder. The girl looked about the same age as his new to be principle.

"I'm glad, thanks Alex. I tried everything to talk Mr. Blunt out of this."

"I understand." He sighed, "Don't worry." The man at the register to the ice cream and ran it over the scanner.

"I'll let you get back to your ice cream." Mrs. Jones said, "talk to you later Alex." She hung up. He shook his head. The MI6 never ceased to amaze him.

"Two pounds." The man said. Alex shoved his hand into his pocket and brought out the money. He put it on the counter and stole a look at the brunette behind him. "Come again soon." the man said.

"Thanks." Alex said taking the ice cream.

The girl looked up from her magazine.

"Tha'd be sixpence miss." The grocer said. She took it out of her purse and handed him the money. "Have a nice day." He said void of emotion.

_This is ridiculous! _She thought. _Why must all of these boys be so elusive?_ She sighed as she took her gum. It had been a very bad strategy for trying to get some dirt on the suspicious boy in front of her.

"You too, lighten up a bit while your at it." She said lifting an eye brow. She stepped out of the shop. Her eyes followed the boy as he waited at the cross walk.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex had an odd feeling he was being watched. That, of course, was pretty normal for him. However, there was something different about this. He turned around and catching the girl from the store looking at him. It wasn't an _oh, check him out _sort of look, it was a very determined stare, sierous and calm. But it was only for a fraction of a second where he could convince himself that she hadn't looked at him in the first place. He looked back to the crosswalk and pedaled his bike back across the street.

He _had _caught her staring at him. _I hope I didn't look too desparate. _She thought sarcastically, the girl smirked. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. The boy with the very suspicious phone call was pedalling away. Something inside her was screaming _run after him you fool_! But she ignored it. Yet her concience was a constant thorn in her side but she seemed to get rid of the urge to follow it. For all the years she had been evading the interpol and her very edgy deals with the black market and some other names that she couldn't even begin to explain, the voice in her head had been nothing more than an obsticle to over come.

But as he pedalled away, she had a wrenching gut feeling to run after him. It was an unspeakably, rash idea that could get herself and associates in big trouble. She made herself ignore it. It was surprisingly painful. Her black limo pulled up infront of her and she sighed opening the door and plopping into the seat pulling it closed behind her.

"Refreshing visit madameusille?" The driver asked.

"Refreshing indeed." She sighed. "Let's go back to the house Ronald."

"As you wish." With that, they drove away.

Alex looked around as her pedalled home. Everything seemed peaceful and calm. But that wouldn't last for long. His phone rang again. He opened it. _Text message_ it said. He clicked it.

_Alex be sure to check your fax machine when you return home_

_Sure Mr Blunt_

_Oh, and Im sorry for this_

_Yeah don't worry Im home good bye_

Alex pocketed his phone and got off his bike when he had screeched to the front door. He took the keys from his pocket and held the container of ice cream tightly. Alex unlocked the door and shoved it open with his shoulder. Of all the things Alex had been through in the MI6, all of the gruesome and slightly insane things he had seen, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

"Kon'nichiwa Rida-san." Said a deep Japanese voice from the couch. The movie was paused and Jack was laying face first on the ground and blood was everywhere. He dropped the icecream. "Oh, don't be surprised." They said standing up. The voice belonged to a Japanese man he'd never even see before.

"Who _are _you and what did you do to Jack?!" Alex growled clenching his fists.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" He sneered taking a gun from his utility belt. He held the gun up and fired at Alex. He dodged the bullets and he rolled aside infront of Jack's body.

"Jack! Jack! Come on!" He glanced up at the man who was fingering his gun. He seemed to be enjoying it.

"You're going to pay for this!" He said feeling tears raise to his eyes.

"Oh, dear... He said glacing at his watch. "It seems my job is done since you don't have any caretakers _alive_." He strode to the door. As if on cue, the walky-talky on his chest beeped. He unclasped it and spoke in rapid Japanese.

_"Ichido-san." _Said a man's deep voice from the communicator. "Report."

"Leaving premissis now."

"Shooting at the boy was against my direct orders!"

As he spoke Alex checked Jack's pulse. It was faint but it was still there.

"Oh.. I got your fax from the MI6.. My, my they're getting clumsier by the day.." He tossed the paper down to him. "Miss. Ara Feye.. Oh what a coincidence, I'm working for her too." The man walked to the door and opened it. "She simply can't wait to meet you.. Alex Rider." Ichido laughed and walked out of the house. A black car pulled in front of the house, the man opened the door and slid into it. Alex watched from out of the window, it was the same black limo he'd seen the girl at Kimbrely's leave in. Alex scowled as he watched the Japanese man leave. After the car pulled away Alex ran into the kitchen and picked up the phone glancing at Jack. She took a wheezing breath and he dialed the number for the emergency room.

The rest happened as if in a dream.

"You'll be ok Jack I know you will." Alex said holding her hand as she was being lifted into the ambulance.

"Thanks Alex." She said smiling weakly, "Don't try anything too rash." She said. Her voice was barely audible.

"I won't." He said, but he didn't know how long he could keep that promise.

"If I don't make it.." Jack said softly, " take care of yourself for me."

"Wait for me." Alex said biting his lip to force back tears.

"I will." Jack smiled.

Ara Feye reclined at the parlor table staring into her cup of hot chocolate. Mr. Ichido strode in through the doorway.

"Mr. Ichido. Why did you do this? I never authorized that action." Ara said without looking away from her cup.

"Your father did." Ichido said smugly.

"No!" She said slamming her fist on the table. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up. "Why did he--"

"That Rider boy is an MI6 operative. He's going to try to infeltrate your operation."

"I don't care." She said wipeing her eyes with the back of her hand. "No one deserves that. Please tell my father to make sure I give him permission to carry that sort of thing out." Ara sighed and stood up, gathering herself.

"As you wish." Ichido bowed and strode to the door.

"Don't cancel his stay at the winter house in Switzerland, also, please tell Ronald that I am to go personally to whatever hospital Miss. Starbright will be recovering in at ten-fifteen tomorrow morning."

"Of course." Ichido said firmly sounding a little annoyed. Ara sensed this and walked over to him.

"Don't worry, I'll do it. You've been through alot today. I'm really sorry for my father." Ichido nodded and walked out of the room. Ara crumpled into the chair and pressed her face into her hands and sobbed. "I'm sorry Alex." She kept saying in between sobs. "I'm so so sorry."


End file.
